Reclaimed
Wood is Rich with History
Antique woods and timbers that have fallen in
the forest, sunk to riverbeds, or outlived their use in industrial buildings
are being reclaimed and remilled as extraordinary floors, paneling,
and pillars.
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Reclaimed, recovered, or rediscovered wood comes to its owners with a history. Perhaps it was used in a Victorian home that has been dismantled, in a textile mill from the turn-of-the-century, from a long forgotten logging route through the Great Lakes, or a slow-moving southern river. Whatever its origins, this wood comes from another era. Some logs bear a stamp on their sawn ends to prove where they were logged. Huge beams salvaged from old industrial buildings and barns can be dated and placed in a historical context. Once these boards are milled to make new floorboards, they enter a new page in history. "This is the wood that was in grandma's house," explains Carol Goodwin, co-owner of Goodwin Heart Pine. This is the wood from the great timber stands of the 1700s and 1800s, the same wood that graced the old homes of America and is no longer available today. Recaptured from "industrial America as it's being dismantled, it's just a perfect wood to remanufacture," Goodwin says. Still it's a personal investment, a connection with the rich fabric of the past. "This is the product you put in your final home," Goodwin says, not one intended merely for resale.
Authenticity
Some recovered wood is certified. SmartWood offers a recovered wood certification
program that authenticates the wood, providing a chain-of-custody document
to tell the origin and handling of the wood. Such certification does more
than trace the timber, it guarantees its owner that the wood, the built
and natural environment, and the ecosystem were all handled with respect.
It is important to many when purchasing recovered wood that the countryside
and architectural history of this country not be dismantled to obtain
it.
hether the marine ecosystems were maintained during the recovery. SmartWood's program ensures that wood is recovered in such a way that it benefits all parties, a genuine act of discovery, reclamation, and reuse. Other companies offer their own documentation and wood histories. Wood obtained from demolition contactors can be linked to an address and pictures. Lost timbers recovered from riverbeds can be identified by the number of growth rings. Whatever the method, verify that the dealer is reputable before making an investment that is often three times what a new-growth installation would cost.
Beauty
Recovered wood's beauty is unsurpassed. Left to age among the elements,
whether in the baking sun, the close, dry conditions of an abandoned factory,
or preserved in the cold depths by underwater silicates, these woods are
transformed by the natural aging process. Steve Herrick, owner of Lost
Lodge Timber, a recovered wood dealer, describes the beauty of wood left
to age naturally, then recovered as fallen timber "aged beautifully,
perfectly."
Goodwin Heart Pine tells a similar story when describing
the recovery of the longleaf pine pilings
used in the 1700s shipyard in Savannah.
Remilled
for Today
Long revered by preservationists, architects, and restorationists, recovered
wood is now being discovered by discriminating homeowners. Carlisle Restoration
Lumber mills the stunning wideplank flooring found in the homes and historic
residences of the Northeast. Once recovered, Carlisle air and kiln dries
the wood, and then mills each board individually. Carlisle recovers wood
from barns and industrial buildings, then subjects it to the same standards
used for new wood. The result is a dimensionally stable, uniform board,
with the depth of grain, pattern, and color that cannot be found in new
woods. "When you see beautiful paneling, cabinets, in the decorator
magazines and wonder where they got them, this is where," says Herrick
of the treasures found in reclaimed wood. "I would say it's a well-kept
secret."
Reclaimed wood is solid, stable, durable, and beautiful. It brings the warmth of the past to new construction, and gives owners a sense of history and place. Its beauty is unmistakable, its durability unmatched. Whether with telltale nail holes or clear-faced grains, these woods bring their history with them and invite another generation to imbue them with their own.